Olympus 35RC issues

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fototaco

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Hello!

I just got an Olympus 35RC from an old lady telling me it worked last time it was in use - don't know how many years ago. I'm completely new to the Olympus rangefinders.

There are some issues I have found, and if anyone got a tip or two to get this camera working I would be very grateful.
Here are some issues I've found:

1. shutter button is locked in "depressed" position, but I'm able to depress is only slightly. If I turn the camera upside down it falls to it's "up" position which means it is all loose.

2. advance lever is completely stuck.

3. the rewind button is depressed, and won't pop up when opening the back.

4. I tried putting in a 1.5V battery, but in A mode the meter needle is stuck on f22. The needle for shutter speed dial is moving when adjusting the shutter speeds.

I've tried using both flashmatic mode and all manual modes and pressing the shutter with no luck.

Is there any way to get this working without a full CLA?

Again grateful for feedback and the use of your time.
 
Olympus 35RC issues

Time to ask for a refund.

These cameras are normally reliable for me but this is dependent on the previous owner(s) keeping dirt out of the body.
The advance lever slot is a prime source of crud entering shutter release and wind area.
Once this happens the camera is unworkable as you have discovered.
Paying someone to fix these cameras is typically a waste of money when there are bodies in better condition out there for relatively little money.
If they will not refund, and you are up for it, then consider this an opportunity to learn or practice some basic repair skills.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-134.html


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@maigo

@maigo

@maigo Thanks a lot for the very nice reply. I will take your advice and ask for a refund. It is a bummer, because the camera really was more of a gem than I expected.
 
Self timer might have been set without the camera being cocked and them jammed at the end of it's travel.
The RC is a nice compact little camera. I really like mine. They are worth looking for a good one but expect to pay about $100.
 
I have one, and I really like it, but the build quality isn't great. As Roger Hicks said these P&S cameras from the 70s are only made for about 100 rolls of film. I have more than that with mine and it is still working fine. I had a CLA once about 6-7 years ago but the guy that did it (someone on RFF) quit doing 35RCs I guess they were just too unreliable.

To your problems, you might take off the base and top plates and give a good blast of air and try to get some of the parts moving. It may be a surprise.
 
@zuiko85 any ideas how to reset this?

@mconnealy thanks i sure will be needing a lot of spare time and a little luck pulling that off

@charjohncarter they seem robust, but as @maigo pointed out the advance lever is like a dumpster for dust. The original case it came with is falling apart in dusty pieces and i believe it did more harm than good the last 20 years

I actually tried taking the bottom plate off, and a lot of dirt fell out when tapping the camera body. Do you think it will be ok cleaning with some alcohol, or would i need to lubricate everything again (which I’m uncertain will turn out great)

I really didn’t expect this amount of response/help. Thanks guys/gals, i appreciate it!
 
Mine was in pretty good shape when I got it. It did have a couple small problems. I took the camera on a trip to Greece and the meter stopped working midway through the trip. When i got home it turned out that there was just a little piece of lint obstructing the meter needle travel. I also initially had to adjust the meter. That is very easy thanks to some instructions available from Rick Oleson. The Zuiko lenses are always phenomenal.
 
mconnealy said:
Mine was in pretty good shape when I got it. It did have a couple small problems. I took the camera on a trip to Greece and the meter stopped working midway through the trip. When i got home it turned out that there was just a little piece of lint obstructing the meter needle travel. I also initially had to adjust the meter. That is very easy thanks to some instructions available from Rick Oleson. The Zuiko lenses are always phenomenal.
Click to expand...

That happened to me too. Luckily, when I removed the top plate I saw 'object' and was able to remove it. I know they feel robust but I don't think the internal parts are, well, not made to work together forever. When I load a new roll I always wonder if this is going to be the last one. Still I love this camera.

Great for shots when you can only focus and shoot:

trix at 200 HC110h Olympus 35RC by John Carter, on Flickr
 
@pál_K the self timer was initially not advanced when i got it (but all the other points made pit were). My friend did however advance it when i showcased the camera. The lever went back to it’s original position, but can’t be moved again

Do some of you have any reccomendations for what to use when removing e.g. lint?

edit: a cleaning solution for inside to use on q-tips/cotton or such?
 
If you are going to use a RC as an everyday camera one essential accessory is a 43.5mm to 43mm step-down filter adapter. You will find 43mm lens filters and hoods and caps much easier to source than Olympus’s oddball 43.5 filter size. The one I have from China works perfectly and does not block the meter eye.
Regarding clockwork self timers.....well they all seem to be a bag of worms. If I have an old leaf shutter that has one my strict policy is to never set it, pretend it’s not there. Seems after a few years nearly 100% are sticky, stuck, or will jam up the shutter.
 
zuiko85 said:
Regarding clockwork self timers.....well they all seem to be a bag of worms. If I have an old leaf shutter that has one my strict policy is to never set it, pretend it’s not there. Seems after a few years nearly 100% are sticky, stuck, or will jam up the shutter.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I’m sure everything is jammed in this camera. Maybe I’ll just submerge it in solvent (joke)
 
Some good news and some bad
Update:

I bought the camera for 10 dollars + shipping as a project. I've spent a whole day taking this camera apart. I don't have the proper tools (don't know the english name, but the thing you use to take off wires). Anyway I managed to un-jam the shutter release (this was the hardest part, and i had to disassemble a lot (but not the whole lens). Then i had to rewind a spring-mechanism to make the shutter fire again (i used a toothpick). I also managed to make the aperture needle move again, don't really know how (this happened before fixing the shutter). Also after the shutter button was free again the advance lever is now working.
Then i accidentally broke the bolt that was holding the frame counter in place. but I don't really need it. After cleaning and assembling some parts under the bottom plate the rewind button is working properly I think. At least it is going down, and staying down until i advance the lever. I also tested the meter - and it actually works - even the shutter lock when underexposed (and overexposed?) worked...

But...
I can see that the leaf shutter is not properly moving. It is all loose. I had to take away some parts in relation to the leaf shutter in order to fix the spring on the shutter release. I'm pretty sure the parts are correctly placed. I guess I have to open it up once more...

Edit: The shutter speeds are different from each other! Bulb mode is also working. It's the leaf blades that ain't following along.
 
update:
I'm not an expert but everything seems to be working now. The loose shutter is tightened up. Only thing missing is the frame counter and shooting pictures to see if it really works.

I have an old Sunpak auto 3075G which is powered by 4 AAs and has guide number of 30 in ISO 100.

I have two questions:

1. Is this flash safe to use with the Olympus RC or is there a chance that it might be too much power and destroy the electronics? (it sure is a lot bigger than the small camera)
2. If I want to use flashmatic mode - I set the flash to manual mode. The flash has a guide number 30 to ISO 100. Can I just set the guide number 30 on my Olympus RC or do i have to calculate anything and change the guide number?

in advance, thanks for the help!
 
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